A new marker offers hope for people suffering from arthritis

"This new imaging tool should allow researchers to localize very early events in arthritis to enable translational advances."

Written By: Agencies | Published : November 23, 2017 12:17 PM IST

A team of researchers has discovered a new marker of arthritis in mice. According to the University of California San Diego study, the marker can be used non-invasively to both identify joints with established arthritis and to predict subsequent joint swelling.

The investigators noted that imaging tests with the marker, called Ratiometric thrombin-Activatable Cell Penetrating Peptide, might help clinicians monitor the development and progression of arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. Read here intake of vitamin D may lower the risk of rheumatoid arthritis

"This new imaging tool should allow researchers to localize very early events in arthritis to enable translational advances," said senior author Maripat Corr. The finding is published in journal Arthritis & Rheumatology. Regardless of the type, arthritis causes pain and limits the function of your joints. Here are a few symptoms of arthritis you should watch out for:

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If your arthritis is due to inflammation of the joints then you may experience joint swelling, redness, warmth and stiffness. With inflammatory arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis, your various organs of the body may be affected. You may have fever, lymph nodes swelling, weight loss, tiredness, inability to use your hand, difficulty in walking and poor sleep. It s common to have pains in your muscles and joints, particularly if you give them too much strain. So how do you distinguish regular pain from early signs of arthritis because it s imperative to diagnose the disease as soon as possible. If you see any of these symptoms you shouldn t put off a visit to the doctor.

If the pains last for more than a week
If you experience unexplained joint pain usually accompanied with fever
You experience difficulty in carrying out daily chores due to joint pain
Your joint pain isn t cured by pain killers
There is swelling and stiffness in the joints

Source: ANI

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